UK’s RAF surveillance aircraft flies 12-hour mission along Russian border

The UK’s Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft flew a 12-hour mission along the Russian border, including over Estonia, on Thursday to monitor NATO’s eastern border.

The operation took place after repeated incursions into NATO airspace by Russian drones and aircraft in the last month, including incidents in Poland, Romania, and Estonia.

In a statement, the RAF said the mission shows the UK’s “operational readiness” and NATO’s “collective resolve.”

A RAF RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic intelligence surveillance aircraft and P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft collectively flew nearly 10,000 miles from the High North along the border with Russia, down past Belarus and Ukraine.

Both aircraft are designed to gather intelligence using a range of methods to boost operational awareness and provide valuable data for analysis
The RC-135 Rivet Joint is designed to listen to a vast range of different signals from across the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing it to eavesdrop on military communications.

The P-8A Poseidon, which is specialised for anti-submarine warfare and can carry torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, flew a route focused around the Baltic Sea.

The mission was supported by a United States Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, which extended the operational reach of the two RAF aircraft.

The RAF said this is “a display of trans-Atlantic unity between NATO allies.”

UK Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “This was a substantial joint mission with our US and NATO allies. Not only does this provide valuable intelligence to boost the operational awareness of our Armed Forces, but sends a powerful message of NATO unity to Putin and our adversaries.”/Err/